SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) listened to the University of Illinois system administration testify before the Senate Appropriations II Committee today on their budget request for Fiscal Year 2019.

“As we work towards a budget, I look forward to working with my colleagues to guarantee that the University of Illinois will acquire the funds it needs to maintain its position as one of the most prestigious universities in the Midwest and the nation,” Bennett said. “I’ve always believed that if we care about the future of our state, we must invest in its next generation and protect our universities and colleges.”

According to testimony from University of Illinois President Timothy Killeen, the two-year state budget impasse that ended last July took a toll on faculty salaries and undergraduate recruitment, and the Urbana campus is hoping to make up ground this year.

“The U of I is not just a school, it’s an economic powerhouse for our communities,” Bennett said. “I think that it’s more important now than ever before for Illinois’ future that we do everything we can to keep our best and brightest in the state, and securing long-term funding is a good first step in doing just that.”